Foldable metallic framework



July 20, 1 PIERRE-LOUIS VERGUIN 3,

FOLDABLE' METALLIC FRAMEWORK Filed Dec. 14, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 14, 1962 United States Patent 3,195,481 FOLDABLE METALLIC FRAMEWORK Pierre-Louis Verguin, Rue de Lille, Casablanca, Morocco Filed Dec. 14, 1%2, Ser. No. 244,802 Claims priority, application Morocco, Dec. 20, 1961,

7 Claims. (Cl. 108-53) The present invention concerns a foldable metallic device which, in its unfolded state, forms a rigid, indeformable framework adapted to enclose, when they are to be handled and transported, a definite number of cardboard boxes, loaded with agricultural produce or other similar objects, the said cases being arranged inside the said framework which protects them against crushing during handling and transport.

The apparatus in accordance with the invention is essentially constituted with a lower or base frame, foldable uprights surmounted in the unfolded state by an upper frame or removable cover, these elements forming an assembly. The base is formed by four angle irons defining a rectangular frame, the angles of which are reinforced by plates or gussets serving as abutments for the uprights in their erected position. This base is, moreover, provided with V-shaped trough like supports or feet whilst the cover comprises supports in which the feet of a superimposed handling unit are adapted to lodge. These trough like supports assure, moreover, to the unit, the necessary super-elevation, for the use of a lifting device. The uprights are constituted by four angle irons and are made integral with the base by means of hinges which permit them to be bent perpendicularly one with respect to the other on each of the angle irons forming the frame. The removable cover is constituted by four angle irons assembled by reinforced corners comprising a triangular slot which permits the engagement and passage of the uprights. This cover comprises a special locking system permitting the exact holding of the constituted block of cardboard boxes, and avoiding by the locking in height, of crushing of the cardboard boxes held. It assures a locking of the assembly of the system as well as its indeformability.

The invention will now be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the assembly of the device in accordance with the invention erected or un-' folded;

FIG. 2 shows, as a schematic view, the refolded device;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the removable cover, showing details of the reinforced angle;

FIG. 4 is an elevation of an upright with details of the locking system.

Referring to the figures of the drawings, the base or lower frame 1 is constituted by four angle irons forming a rectangular frame and four uprights 2, which can be refolded in the direction of the arrow (FIG. l). The upper frame, formed likewise by four angle irons constitutes the removable cover 3, which correspond with the angles of the gussets 4. The lower frame is provided with stiffeners 5 and provided with feet or V-shaped trough-like supports 6. The cover includes reinforcing angle gussets 7. In FIG. 2 there can be seen the dismounted upper frame 3, the uprights 2 bent over and the apparatus refolded. In FIGURE 3, there can be seen a cover 3 pro vided with gussets 4 each including a trough-like abutment 10, a triangular slot 11 and a closing and abutment wedge 12 whilst the reference 13 indicates the reinforcing angle. FIG. 4 refers to the locking system comprising a locking screw 14, a support 15 for the screw 14, an abut- 3,195,481 Patented July 20, 1965 ment 16 for the removable frame, a hinge 17 and a hinge reinforcement 18.

The framework in accordance with the inventionpresents, amongst other characteristics, the advantage of suppressing the necessity of all handling in the course of transport of isolated packages and permittting the unitory constitution of handling or of transport to the optimal limits of the overall weight and of volume in accordance with the means used in the given circumstances so as to obtain an economic investment. Moreover, it offers eflicacious protection for cardboard packages, thanks to the locking of each package in a compact handleable mass by covering the sharp edges of the angle irons, by the substitution of steel to the cardboard as an object of all exterior forces and by the obtaining of a high resistance to crushing and the possibility of superimposing the chosen handleable units, without inconvenience to the cardboard boxes and their contents. The system according to the invention permits the suppression of all hooping, a better conservation of the transported products by the possibility of ensuring, if it is necessary, a suitable aeration and limitation of the possibility of searching and steering.

It is of course understood that the invention is not limited by the example shown and represented but encompasses, on the contrary, all modifications and variants which is susceptible to receive without departing from the principle of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a foldable metal framework for enclosing material contained in rectangular cardboard boxes to form therewith a substantially non-deformable unit: four identical horizontally extending right angle irons; four gussets, each of which joins a respective pair of said angle irons together at right angles to one another, so that the ensemble of said gussets and said angle irons form a horizontal rectangular base frame; each of said horizontally extending angle irons having a horizontal portion and a vertical portion, said two portions being joined along a common longitudinal side, and each being joined to its associated gussets in such a way that said horizontal portion extends inwardly from said common longitudinal side to the inside of the region defined by said base frame and said vertical portion extends upwardly from said common longitudinal side; four identical upright angle irons each of which has a pair of mutually perpendicular portions joined along a common longitudinal side and each of which has a smaller length than said horizontal angle irons; capping means for each of said upright angle irons comprising a flat piece connected across one end of each of said upright angle irons, said piece being connected between said mutually perpendicular portions of each of said upright angle irons; four hinge means, each of which comprises a lower support member, an upper support member, and a pivot member pivotally joining said support members; first fastening means connecting said lower support member of each of said hinge means to one extremity of the vertical portion of a respective one of said horizontally extending angle irons in such a way that the axis of rotation of said pivot member is parallel to, and at the same height as, the upper longitudinal side of said vertical portion; second fastening means connecting said upper support member to the other end of a respective one of said upright angle irons in such a way that the longitudinal dimension of each respective upright angle iron is perpendicular to the axis of rotation of its associated pivot member, that when each angle iron is in its vertical position, the transverse edge of said other end of one of said planar portions abuts against said upper longitudinal side of said vertical portion of the respective horizontal angle iron to which it is connected, and that when each of said uprights is in its vertical position each of its mutually perpendicular portions extends from said common longitudinal side towards a respective adjacent corner of said base frame; and a unitary rectangular cover frame having the same horizontal dimensions as. said base frame and having a slot formed 1I'0I1S. V t

2. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said upright angle ironsfurther comprises an abutting member upon whichsaid cover frame rests. 3. A device as recited in claim 2, wherein of said'slots, each of said, finger membersbeing rotatable into the region defined by said slot so as to engage said V said cover 7 frame comprises a plurality of horizontally rotatable finger members, each of which is disposed near a respective one capping means associated with'the upright angle ironex tending through said respective slot.

4. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein each of 'said' slots is triangular in shape,

5. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein said base frame further comprises at least two trough-shaped "feet connected between the bottoms of opposing angle irons'..,

, 4 frame further comprises receiving means for holding the trough-shaped feet of a similar metallictframework.

7. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said i gussets extendsabove the angle irons of said base frame to provide a lateral abutment for said upright angle irons.

, 7 References Cited by the Examiner V, UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,579,685 12/51. Loose 108-53 2,699,911 1/55 Chaseet al.' 108-53 2,704,194 3/55 Diamond 2 108-53 2,728,544 12/55 Ayre et a1 108-53 2,870,980 7 1/59' Higgins et al 108-53 2,926,792 3/60 ySeiz 108-53 2,932,477 4/60 Franks -5 108-53 2,956,763 10/60 DArca 108-53 2,969,948 1/61 'Higgins 108-53 X 2,998,141 8/61 .7 Moore et al 108-53 X 3,009,674 11/61 Ingrartsen 108-53 X 3,026,817 *3/62 Sabastian 108-51 X' 7 FRANK VB. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A FOLDABLE METAL FRAMEWORK FOR ENCLOSING MATERIAL CONTAINED IN RECTANGULAR CARDBOARD BOXES TO FORM THEREWITH A SUBSTANTIALLY NON-DEFORMABLE UNIT: FOUR INDETICAL HORIZONTALLY ECTENDING RIGHT ANGLE IRONS; FORU GUSSETS, EACH OF WHICH JOINS A RESPCETIVE PAIR OF SAID ANGLE IRON TOGETHER AT RIGHT ANGLES TO ONE ANOTHER, SO THAT THE ENSEMBLE OF SAID GUSSETS AND SAID ANGLE IRONS FORM A HORIZONTAL RECTANGUALR BASE FRAME; EACH OF SAID HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING ANGLE IRONS HAVING A HORIZONTAL PORTION AND A VERTICAL PORTION, SAID TWO PORTIONS BEING JOINED ALONG A COMMON LONGITUDINAL SIDE, AND EACH BEING JOINED TO ITS ASSOCIATED GUSSETS IN SUCH A WAY THAT SAID HORIZONTAL PORTION EXTENSA INWARDLY FROM SAID COMMON LONGTUDINAL SIDE TO THE INSIDE OF THE REGION DEFINED BY SAID BASE FRAME AND SAID VERTICAL PORTION EXTENDS UPWARDLY FROM SAID COMMON LONGITUDINAL SIDE; FOUR INDENTICAL UPRIGHT ANGLE IRONS EACH OF WHICH HAS A PAIR OF MUTUALL PERPENDICULAR PORTIONS JOINED ALONG A COMMON LONGITUDINAL SIDE AND EACH OF WHICH HAS A SMALLER LENGTH THAN SAID HORIZONTAL ANGLE IRONS; CAPPING MEANS FOR EACH OF SAID UPRIGHT ANGLE IRONS COMPRISING A FLAT PIECE CONNECTED ACCROSS ONE END OF EACH OF SAID UPRIGHT ANGLE IRONS, SAID PIECE BEING CONNECTEC BETWEEN SAID MUTUALLY PERPENDICULAR PORTIONS OF EACH OF SAID UPRIGHT ANGLE IORNS; FOUR HINGE MEANS, EACH OF WHICH COMPRISES A LOWER SUPPORT MEMBER, AN UPPER SUPPORT MEMBER, AND A PIVOT MEMBER PIVOTALLY JOINING SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS FIRST FASTENING MEANS CONNECTING SAID LOWER SUPPORT MEMBER OF EACH OF SAID HINGE MEANS TO ONE EXTREMITY OF THE VERTICAL PORTION OF A RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING ANGLE IRONS IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF SAID PIVOT MEMBER IS PARALLEL TO, AND AT THE SAME TIME HEIGHT AS, THE UPPER LONGITUDINAL SIDE OF SAID VERTICAL PORTION SECOND FASTENING MEANS CONNECTING SAID UPPER SUPPORT MEMBER TO THE OTHER END OF A RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID UPRIGHT ANGLE IRONS IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE LONITUDINAL DIMENSION OF EACH RESPECTIVE UPRIGHT ANGLE IRON IS PREPENDICULAR TO THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF ITS ASSOCIATED PIVOT MEMBER, THAT WHEN EACH ANGLE IRON IS IN ITS VERTICAL POSITION, THE TRANSVERSE EDGE OF SAID OTHER END OF SAID PLANAR PORTIONS ABUTUS AGAINST SAID UPPER LONGITUDINAL SIDE OF SAID VERTICAL PORTION OF THE RESPECTIVE HORIZONTAL ANGLE IRON TO WHICH IT IS CONNECTED, AND THAT WHEN EACH OF SAID UPRIGHTS IS IN ITS VERTICAL POSITION EACH OF ITS MUTUALLY PREPENDICULAR PORTIONS EXTENDS FROM SAID COMMON LONGITUDINAL SIDE TOWARDS A RESPECTIVE ADJACENT CORNER OF SAID BASE FRAME; AND A UNITARY RECTANGULAR COVER FRAME HAVING THE SAME HORIZONTAL DIMENSIONS AS SAID BASE FRAME AND HAVING A SLOT FORMED IN EACH OF ITS CORNERS THROUGH EACH OF WHICH IS INSERTED SAID ONE END OF A RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID UPRIGHT ANGLE IRONS. 